Should I try a carb sensitive diet?

TeeA86

99% of the people who think they are carb sensitive because when they eat carbs, their weights goes up. They don't understand the difference between water weight and fat weight and immediately freak out when the scale weight goes up, even when they know they are eating at a deficit.

Eat your carbs. They don't make you fat, excess calories do, regardless of macro-nutrient type.

Thank you for your response. How did you lose as much as you did?

TeeA86

You can be carb sensitive which means not eating a bunch of the bad stuff and watching your serving size on carbs that you would like to keep in your diet - potatoes, rice, pasta etc. There is nothing wrong with having the turkey sandwich for lunch. I would set a maximum daily carb intake amount and just stay under...like you have done for calories etc. Everyone is different but I personally like to stay under or near 100-125 carbs a day. You can be carb sensitive and still incorporate some stuff that you like into your diet. I think sensitive is the key word.

Thank you. I will def. keep that in mind.

TeeA86

Quite honestly I think going low carb for just a week would be a waste of time. You've worked too hard to gain it back when you go back to your carbs.

I would suggest a not necessarily low CARB diet but a very low GRAIN diet. Still, only doing it for a week isn't going to do you any favors. Good luck!

So you are saying cut back on breads, pastas, rice, etc? Thanks for your response.

TeeA86

No I wouldn't recommend carb sensitive if you're not losing anymore weight there is truly only one answer and that is to lower your caloric intake. That paired with an extra exercise day a week will surely have you losing numbers on the scale rather quickly.

Thanks. I do realize I need to exercise more.... its just finding the time to do so with working and school. My max is already at 1200. I shouldnt cut that any more though, right?

TeeA86

I am insulin resistant, and the carbs do affect those of us with this issue. I've found that as long as my carbs are complex carbs and accompanied with some fats, protein and fiber, I do okay.

Thanks. Keeping that in mind also.

PBJunky

Yes you should. It was also recommended to me by my doctor. Carbs turn into sugar..and sugar should be avoided. Good luck with your results!

mind = blown!!!!

LabRat529

Ok so I started my "lifestyle change" about a month ago. I feel like I have made a lot of changes.... still having problems on the weekend though but managing. last week I walk the track 3 days. I am pretty much staying around 190 (which I have not recorded because last time I was at 190 I went back up to 194) so this morning I was 190 again. I feel no difference in my clothes though. So I was reading a curves book and it said if the 1200 calorie plan didn't work, switch to the carb sensitve plan. Which cuts out breads and pastas and all that stuff. I find it hard to just eat salads and veggies. I also eat a turkey on wheat sandwich for lunch everyday because its easy and cheap for work. What do y'all think about switching to low carb diet for a week or so?

In my opinion, you shouldn't go low-carb until you do more research than just asking folks on myfitnesspal.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a low-carb diet. You should know exactly what you're getting into- the whole look before you leap thing.

I recommend doing your homework. I recently read this: http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/ (I hope the author doesn't mind me pointing people to it) and found it to be very helpful. You can also spend a little time on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ if you want to get the latest scientific info on low-carb diets (and as I said, there are advantages to it). But you shouldn't make the decision lightly.

Best wishes to you.

Sublog

99% of the people who think they are carb sensitive because when they eat carbs, their weights goes up. They don't understand the difference between water weight and fat weight and immediately freak out when the scale weight goes up, even when they know they are eating at a deficit.

Eat your carbs. They don't make you fat, excess calories do, regardless of macro-nutrient type.

Thank you for your response. How did you lose as much as you did?

Simple:

- Workout 3 times a week with weights.
- Eat 1g protein / lb lean body mass.
- Reduce calories to lose 1-2 lbs / week.

LabRat529

Yes you should. It was also recommended to me by my doctor. Carbs turn into sugar..and sugar should be avoided. Good luck with your results!

Sorry... I don't mean to pick on you, but I hate misconceptions like this and hate it more when these misconceptions are spread. Carbs turn into sugar? Yes, yes they do. But that doesn't mean they should be avoided. There is NOTHING harmful about a diet with healthy complex carbs (and even the occasional simple carb like fructose and sucrose). Glucose (a sugar) is essential to life. It feeds into the KREB cycle to produce ATP. We use ATP as our energy source for just about everything. Yes, you're bodies can convert alternative nutrients (proteins, fats) into fuel, but no matter how hard you try, you're not going to escape the simple fact that you need glucose to live. Brains especially love glucose. I'm only partly joking about that. Neurons have a hard time with alternative fuels. They can make due with ketones, but they'd really rather have glucose.

Please don't mistake this for me advocating against a low carb diet. Low carb diets have their place. But to say carbs= sugar and that sugar should be avoided is irresponsible.

Lula16

Ok so I started my "lifestyle change" about a month ago. I feel like I have made a lot of changes.... still having problems on the weekend though but managing. last week I walk the track 3 days. I am pretty much staying around 190 (which I have not recorded because last time I was at 190 I went back up to 194) so this morning I was 190 again. I feel no difference in my clothes though. So I was reading a curves book and it said if the 1200 calorie plan didn't work, switch to the carb sensitve plan. Which cuts out breads and pastas and all that stuff. I find it hard to just eat salads and veggies. I also eat a turkey on wheat sandwich for lunch everyday because its easy and cheap for work. What do y'all think about switching to low carb diet for a week or so?

If you just started a month ago, give it more time. the weight will come off slowly but its better for maintenance in the long run.

PBJunky

Yes you should. It was also recommended to me by my doctor. Carbs turn into sugar..and sugar should be avoided. Good luck with your results!

Sorry... I don't mean to pick on you, but I hate misconceptions like this and hate it more when these misconceptions are spread. Carbs turn into sugar? Yes, yes they do. But that doesn't mean they should be avoided. There is NOTHING harmful about a diet with healthy complex carbs (and even the occasional simple carb like fructose and sucrose). Glucose (a sugar) is essential to life. It feeds into the KREB cycle to produce ATP. We use ATP as our energy source for just about everything. Yes, you're bodies can convert alternative nutrients (proteins, fats) into fuel, but no matter how hard you try, you're not going to escape the simple fact that you need glucose to live. Brains especially love glucose. I'm only partly joking about that. Neurons have a hard time with alternative fuels. They can make due with ketones, but they'd really rather have glucose.

Please don't mistake this for me advocating against a low carb diet. Low carb diets have their place. But to say carbs= sugar and that sugar should be avoided is irresponsible.

You agree that carb turn into a sugar? *facepalm*

TeeA86

[/quote]

In my opinion, you shouldn't go low-carb until you do more research than just asking folks on myfitnesspal.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a low-carb diet. You should know exactly what you're getting into- the whole look before you leap thing.

I recommend doing your homework. I recently read this: http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/ (I hope the author doesn't mind me pointing people to it) and found it to be very helpful. You can also spend a little time on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ if you want to get the latest scientific info on low-carb diets (and as I said, there are advantages to it). But you shouldn't make the decision lightly.

Best wishes to you.
[/quote]

Thanks. I just read one website from another's post about carbs. It was very interesting. I will also read the links you just posted. I think I have some other things I should work on before pointing the finger at the carbs. Thanks again.

TeeA86

[/quote]

Simple:

- Workout 3 times a week with weights.
- Eat 1g protein / lb lean body mass.
- Reduce calories to lose 1-2 lbs / week.
[/quote]

Does sound simple enough.... Thanks again.

shakybabe

Since I went gluten free/low carb I lost about 9 lbs in just over a month and it took me the first 4 months to lose the first 9lbs before this just on diet but still eating bread, rice etc.

I replaced regular bread with gluten free bread but I only have it once or twice a week instead of daily. every so often I allow carbs for a change but find if I have strict diet the day before and after I don't pile loads of water weight on from allowing a jacket potato mid week or chips at weekend. I've still lost18lbs total.

Also I do more exercise on the days that I'm allowing carbs so I have lots of 'spare calories'.

Try it for a short period and see if it makes any difference? for most meals I replace potatoes with butternut squash, allow sweet potato once a week, use cauliflower whizzed up to rice or cous cous size and steam in microwave in place of these, swede/carrot mash instead of mashed potato, parsnip chips etc.

TeeA86

If you just started a month ago, give it more time. the weight will come off slowly but its better for maintenance in the long run.

Thanks. I know you are right..... but I am just ready to see the results. Needing to work on my patience.

TeeA86

Since I went gluten free/low carb I lost about 9 lbs in just over a month and it took me the first 4 months to lose the first 9lbs before this just on diet but still eating bread, rice etc.

I replaced regular bread with gluten free bread but I only have it once or twice a week instead of daily. every so often I allow carbs for a change but find if I have strict diet the day before and after I don't pile loads of water weight on from allowing a jacket potato mid week or chips at weekend. I've still lost18lbs total.

Also I do more exercise on the days that I'm allowing carbs so I have lots of 'spare calories'.

Try it for a short period and see if it makes any difference? for most meals I replace potatoes with butternut squash, allow sweet potato once a week, use cauliflower whizzed up to rice or cous cous size and steam in microwave in place of these, swede/carrot mash instead of mashed potato, parsnip chips etc.

Thanks. Those all sound like good ideas.

LabRat529

You agree that carb turn into a sugar? *facepalm*

I'm using 'sugar' loosely and in a biochemical sense... as in glucose, fructose, galactose, ribose, dioxyribose, and so on. They're all sugars.

I even think of glycogen and cellulose as 'sugar' though technically, they are complex branching chain of sugar (glucose). We can break down one, but not the other.

But you're right! I should have mentioned that while all sugars are carbs, not all carbs are sugars... although I've got to admit I can't think of a carb right now that isn't made of sugars. I'm sure they exist... I just can't think of one at the moment.